E-MAGIN Trains Students On E-Waste

Students of Toh-Kpalime at the training programme

Students in technical and vocational schools in some parts of the country are receiving training in electronic waste (e-waste) management as part of effort to curb the hazardous effects of electronic waste to both human life and the environment.

They are being given basic skills on how to safely dismantle, re-assemble and create innovative products out of e-waste.

The awareness campaign being initiated by E-MAGIN has already been launched at New Century Career Training Vocational Institute, Dansoman, Accra; St. Mary Vocational Institute, Asamankese, Eastern Region, and Toh-Kpalime Vocational Training Institute, Volta Region.

A Member of E-MAGIN team, Vivian Ahiayibor, speaking to the media on the sideline of one of the training programmes at the New Century Career Training Institute, said they were helping the informal businesses and associations in the e-waste sector.

She said capacity building programmes in business fundamentals and occupational health and safety would also be undertaken to strengthen businesses in the informal sector.

She was happy that the students offering computer science, electronic engineering, home economics and electrical engineering were embracing the need to become innovative and were eager to create products that could be beneficial to businesses in the e-waste value chain.

The Training Facilitator and National Focal Point for Adelphi Research (Germany), Ebenezer Kumi, said 20 per cent of dismantled components of gadgets accounted for 80 per cent of the generated revenue by businesses in the e-waste sector.

The Assistant School Prefect, New Century Career Training Institute, William Asiamang, expressed his gratitude to the E-MAGIN team for the e-waste awareness programme.

“We have learnt how to dismantle some electronic equipment, effective disposal of e-waste and also how we could make some money out of e-waste,” he said.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi